Wiltshire Council prepared for Friday snow

With snow predicted to hit Wiltshire tomorrow, Wiltshire Council is gearing up for any potential problems on the roads.

Sub-zero conditions have set in across Wiltshire, with light and heavy snowfalls predicted to start from tomorrow morning.

After concentrating on flooding before Christmas, the council has spent gritting roads for ice, and are now set to deal with the forecast for snow.

Dick Tonge, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We did some gritting earlier in the year when there was some bad weather, and we have sufficient salt so that won’t be a difficulty. The teams are all ready to go.

“We’ve had the gritters out this week and we’ve seen no major incidents. People I think take care when they see them out, but they are there to prevent the ice forming in the first place.

“We have done more of the minor roads over the last few days as we have had the time to do them.

“We’re gearing up for the snow because we haven’t had to use our snow ploughs yet. We also have contracts in place with local farmers who will go out and clear the roads if conditions worsen, so we’re confident things will be all right.”

For weather bulletins tomorrow, keep up to date online here Previous freezing conditions at the start of December caused many potholes on the roads, but councillor Tonge is confident these will be repaired. He said: “We were granted an additional £2.4m from the government over and above our own budgets awarded just before Christmas, with £1.2m the year after that, so we are going to be working on the difficulties with the pot holes, with longer-term improvements later to come.

“The work is already happening now. As we find them they’re filled in, but we won’t do the major resurfacing until the weather improves.”

A spokeswoman from the Highways Agency said: "Our roads will be treated whenever there is a risk of ice or snow. However, even when roads have been treated, drivers should still take care, especially on stretches where the local road layout or landscape means there could be a greater risk of ice forming."

Councillor Tonge added: “We do ask drivers to drive carefully in poor conditions, and to only go out if they need to if it gets severe.”